Bag-lock



(No Model.)

R F. INGRAM.

BAG LOCK.

No. 405,357. Patented June 18, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK F. INGRAM, OF DETROIT, MIOHIGANQ BAG-LOG K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,357, dated June 18, 1889.

Application filed January 2, 1889. Serial No. 295,247. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK F. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan ,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catches and Looks for Hand-Bags; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to catches and locks of the class commonly used upon hand-bags, Satchels, sample-cases, and the like, and the object is to produce a simple, cheap, and practical fastening for this purpose, and which shall at the same time be stronger and safer from picking or accidental opening than the devices commonly used for this purpose. Locks and catches of the common c0nstruction for this purpose are usually operated by a thumb-piece adapted to be pressed clownward or sidewise, and such pressure is liable to be given accidentally, thereby releasing the catch. To avoid the possibility of accident from this cause, I so construct the lock that the catch is released by lifting the thumbpiece, and as a further safeguard the lock is so constructed that the thumb-piece cannot be raised until it has been turned to a certain position, generally indicated by a mark or marks for this purpose, and the lock is further provided with a key, by means of which the thumb-piece is locked, so that it can neither be turned nor raised.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the lock and catch. Fig. 2 represents a top View of the lock, the thumb-piece being removed; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 4, a vertical cross-section; Fig. 5, a detail view of the sliding tumbler for locking the thumb -piece; Fig. 6, a detail view of the catchlocking bar, and Fig. '7 a detail of the thumb-piece.

Like characters designate corresponding parts in of all the figures.

The easel of the lock is secured in position by means of rivets 2 2, and the catch 3 is inafter described.

adapted to enter the same through the open ing a in the side of the case underneath the locking-bar 5, and to be engaged thereby. This locking-bar 5 is held in place by means of suitable guide-pins 6 and 7, and is pressed downwardly thereupon to engage the head of the catch 3 by means of springs 8 8 coiled around said guide-pins, room being made to allow for the sufficient length of the same by sockets 9 9, formed in said locking-bar around said pins, and into which the lower ends of said springs are received. The upper ends of said springs press against the plate 10, here- The entering end of the catch is inclined or of wedge form, and so enters the ease of the look as to lift the bar 5 against the resistance of the springs until the head of the catch has passed beyond the inner edge of the bar, when the pressure of the springs lowers the bar, thus locking the catch. To the middle of the locking-bar is attached, so as to turn easily therein, the thumb-piece 11, consisting of a stem or spindle passing upwardly through the top of the case, where it terminates in a suitable head, by means of which the bar may be raised to release the catch. To prevent the thumb-piece from being raised except when in a single predetermined position, there are formed upon or attached to the spindle at a distance below the head equal to the thickness of the top of the case two lugs 12 12, which engage underneath the top of the case and prevent the same from being raised, but which permit of the raising of the thumb-piece 11 when in proper position by being received within a slot 13 in the top of the case, and through the middle of which the spindle passes. The thumb-piece therefore cannot be raised or the bar released from engagement with the head of the catch except when the spindle is so turned that the lugs register with the slot in the top of the case, which position may be indicated by suitable marks upon the head of the thumbpiece.

To provide for the locking of the thumbpiece, so that it can be neither turned nor raised, I have provided a sliding tumbler or bolt 14, fitting against the under surface of the top of the case and heldin position by means of a plate 10, pressed upwardly against the same by means of the springs 8 8. The sliding tuniber 14 may thus be pushed in an endwise direction, the length being a little less than that of the case for that purpose, and is retained in any desired position by means of the frictional pressure caused by the springs 8 8 between the plate 10 and the top of the case. The width of the tumbler is preferably about the same as that of the case, so that the sides of the latter may act as guides for the same.

The tumbler is shown in detail in Fig. 5. At the center thereof is a circular aperture 15, concentric with the spindle of the thumbpiece when the latter is free, the aperture being of sufficient diameter to allow of the turning of the spindle therein without interfering with the lugs 12 12, which are of the same vertical thickness as the tumbler. The sliding motion of the tumbler may be guided also by means of the guide-pin 6, which may also be the screw by which the bottom plate is attached to the case, the said pin passin g through a slot 16 formed in the tumbler. The upper end of the other guide-pin 7 preferably forms a stem upon which the key 17 fits and turns. To one side of the aperture 15, at right angles to the direction of the slot 13, is formed a recess 18 of a size to receive one of the lugs 12 when turned in the proper direction.

The sliding tumbler is operated by means of the key 17, a notch 19 being formed in the tumbler in position to be engaged by the key when introduced and turned, thus sliding the tumbler. It will be observed that the plate cannot be moved unless the thumb-piece is so turned that one of the lugs 12 registers with the recess 18, and that when by the turning of the ke the plate is moved so as to engage one of t e lugs within the recess 18 the thumb-piece cannot be turned. Further, the recess 18 being at right angles to the slot 13 the lugs 12 12 are engaged underneath the top of the case and the thumb-piece, and 0011- sequently the locking-bar cannot be raised. The catch is thus securely locked until the key is again introduced, sliding the tumbler, so as to allow of the turning and lifting of the thumb-piece.

A suitable stop or shoulder 20 is secured or formed upon the inside of the case in po-' sition to prevent the catch from being lifted by the raising of the locking-bar. It is not my intention to confine myself strictly to the exactconstruction shown herein, as it is evident that locks for other purposes may be constructed upon slightlymodified applications of the principle herein embraced. For instance, a series of tumblers may be used in place of one, thus making it necessary to turn the thumb-piece one or more times in each direction before being able to raise the same entirely from engagement therewith and the locking-bar from engagement with the catch, each successive tumbler acting upon the lugs in the same manner as the top of the case, as herein shown.

For, use in other positions, as in the case of a trunk-fastening, means may be provided for raising the locking-bar without the necessity of directly lifting the thumb-pieceas, for instance, a wedge-shaped slide may be mounted at each side of the case acting upon pins inserted in the locking-bar in such .a manner that the same maybe raised by pushing both slides at the same time, which is not likely to take place accidentally; or, the slides may be arranged with knobs on each side of the thumb-piece adapted to act in wedge-fashion directly under the head of the thumb-piece, and in this manner also act as guards to prevent the breaking or bending of the thumb-piece. These points do not, however, affect the principle of the invention, and may be arranged to suit particular circumstances of use.

I claim as my invention 1. In a fastening for hand-ba s and the like, a catch, a spring-actuated locking-bar for engaging the same, thumb-piece rotatively mounted therein and adapted to lift the same from engagement with said catch, lugs upon the stem of said thumb-piece, and key-actuated sliding tumbler for controlling the turning and liftingof said thumb-piece, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. In a fastening for hand-bags and the like, a catch, locking bar mounted upon guides and adapted to be lowered or raised thereupon for engagement with and disengagement from said catch, thumb-piece rotatively mounted in said bar and adapted to lift the same, lugs on the stem of said thumb-piece, key-actuated sliding tumbler or tumblers for controlling the raising and turning of said thumb-piece, plate between which and the top of the case the said tumbler slides, and springs between said plate and locking-bar, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. In a fastening for hand-bags and the like, a catch 3, spring-actuated locking-bar 5, thumb-piece 11, rotatively mounted therein and by means of which the same is adapted to be lifted from engagement with said catch, lugs 12, carried by the stem of said thumbpiece, key-actuated sliding tumbler for controlling the raising and turning of said thumbpiece, and stop 20, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

at. In a fastening for hand bags and the like, a catch 3, spring-actuated locking-bar 5, thumb-piece 11, rotatively mounted therein and by which the same is adapted to be lifted from engagement with said catch, and lugs 12, carried by the stem of said thumb-piece, in combination with a case having slot 13, adapted to receive said lugs when turned to register therewith, and akey-actuated tumbler 14, having aperture 15 and recess 18, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDK. F. INGRAM.

Vv'itnesses:

ERNST Sv NDsEN, T os. J. D133. 

